Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-01-21
[HE, HERALD.
BY BLANK 8 BLANK.
EMOTION SPRINGS, DAKOTA
..,,,Is.-Se. 90 Per Year in Advance.
EHE PLAYHOUSE
trent Gossip About Promi-
nent Players and
| Professionals.
,~u A LITTLE HUMOR ADDED.
,ru A LITTLE HUMOR ADDED.
rms Fancies in the Footlight Realm
yoremsnts Of the Noted Stars on
Both Sides Of the Ocean.

norfmsuts Of the Noted Stars on
Both Sides Of the Ocean.
oreus, First appearance In "Soton
=" SI.tnOie."
first visited Baltimore in 1850,
;tos C. w. Tayleure in the New York
orM. Ny residence there dated from
x J. B. Booth-"Old Booth;" j.
Gallagher" Handsome JIM" then
.e,b Jefferson, Joseph NJ. Dawson,
In s. Clarke, John Z. Owens. Will
h Henry Brigss-"Curly Briggs
I'm L. Ford-these were among my
ofessional intimates. The greatest of
ors and best of managers! Ehe1!
Lw the tines have changed! Briggs
5, socially and professionally, one of
most highly-esteemed actors known
the Baltimore stage. In 1865, a
Iock of the curled darling of "a, he
nteptedly served me as q "super" in
W. York for so cents night!
In the summer of 1868 Major Gen.
pv Wallace suppressed the Balti-
ore Evening Transcript for "dis-
valtv." Elected from my own Office,
krthwest corner Gay and Baltimore
Eeets, threatened with imprisonment,
walked despondently toward Bar
Inns hotel, ruined man. At the foot
the hotel steps l encountered John
Ovens. He had received from
gorge Wood an offer to play at the
roadway Theater, New York, and,
nding me the letter to peruse, asked
opinion. His acceptance was adj
bed.
Il will accept if you will go with me, !"
vens replied, with emphasis.
GLOW, and in what way can I serve
Due"
Manage the press!" was the re-
|onse.
The New York engagement began
Ilgust 90, 1864; it terminated May 26,
IS. On the succeeding day we sailed
England. The monetary results so
we're So. 900 for Owens, $l5, 900 for
Fself. Although engaged only to
manage the press" my services grad
lily widened into the management of
e Broadway Theater also. Ny COM
ensation was fixed salary of 800 per
eek and Is per cent. OF the net re-
kipts
The comedy of Victims" was Sc
etea by Owens as his piece de resist
bee. Wood demanded farce to fill
BIT the bill, and chose "The Live
fdan." Owens objected that hot
Father and consequent perspiration
publ render the necessary makeup"
his face impossible, and suggested
Forty Winks;" its hero, Spruggins, is
F old man; Joshua Butterfly, in "Vic-
ms, is young; and John argued that
lie personal contrast thus obtained
|ould be advantageous. Wood stub
Prnly opposed the suggestion, and
Pally at the eleventh hour (the printer
Zen clamorins for the copy of the
kay-hllls), and after somewhat heated
'lsn'slon "The Yankee Teamster" was
flefted; but neither Owens nor myself
|ied the title, and after another verbal
Fahsle the farce was rechristened
s 81 Single" Angrily tanning him
flt with his straw hat the waiting
inter clutched the copy I handed
IN and quickly left the managers
fice.
fame and fortune at that moment
Pcepted Owens as one of their favor
IL Inc receipts of the first night were
e. bad house for those prosperous
nss' 1t was intensely hot, and vexed
We somewhat tame effect of his ef-
us IN the comedy (Henry Dove, in
'latfled Life" Victims" was pro-
r'ed the succeeding night. Owens be-
u the farce in petulant mood. He
- put On double-cape English
'a "a. coat at the conclusion of the
,a' , scene and boisterously declared he
'a'o no longer endure the heat. The
''ull'er OF the theater hurriedly pro-
l : a threadbare old overcoat as a
's'''ute. Twas moth-eaten and dirty,
~ '.'o cape and was thin. With
~ lace John accepted and donned it.
lhls soiled garment, thus acct
- caught up, became identified
u one Of the most famous and PROS
'ous hits" known to the American
'se, Owens paid So for it, if I re-
,nper Alright. It helped him make
p Oh of dollars.
az Total receipts Of the first week
:, only s2,422.75 Owens share,
,l:lo)' They slowly increased to
"a OF something over IS, 900.
~ average was about $4,10O in an
easement of thirty-eight weeks.
y: nS terms were graduated upon q
a lug scale, but practically they
0"i'eed to one-third of each nights